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She paused, and saw with no slight indignation that he

was listening with an air which proved him wholly unmoved

by any feeling of remorse. He even looked at her with a

smile of affected incredulity.

'Can you deny that you have done it?' she repeated.

With assumed tranquillity he then replied, 'I have no wish

of denying that I did everything in my power to separate my

friend from your sister, or that I rejoice in my success.

Towards _him_ I have been kinder than towards myself.'

Elizabeth disdained the appearance of noticing this civil

reflection, but its meaning did not escape, nor was it likely

to conciliate her.

'But it is not merely this affair,' she continued, 'on which

my dislike is founded. Long before it had taken place, my

opinion of you was decided. Your character was unfolded in

the recital which I received many months ago from Mr.

Wickham. On this subject, what can you have to say? In

what imaginary act of friendship can you here defend your-

self? or under what misrepresentation can you here impose

upon others?'

'You take an eager interest in that gentleman's concerns,'

said Darcy, in a less tranquil tone, and with a heightened

colour.

'Who that knows what his misfortunes have been can help

feeling an interest in him?'

'His misfortunes!' repeated Darcy, contemptuously, -- 'yes,

his misfortunes have been great indeed.'

'And of your infliction,' cried Elizabeth, with energy. 'You

have reduced him to his present state of poverty -- compara-

tive poverty. You have withheld the advantages which you

must know to have been designed for him. You have de-

prived the best years of his life of that independence which

was no less his due than his desert. You have done all this!

and yet you can treat the mention of his misfortunes with

contempt and ridicule.'

'And this,' cried Darcy, as he walked with quick steps

across the room, 'is your opinion of me! This is the estima-

tion in which you hold me! I thank you for explaining it

so fully. My faults, according to this calculation, are heavy

indeed! But, perhaps,' added he, stopping in his walk, and

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